say, hard to predict, you're going to be hearing a lot from him. i'm going to guest tomorrow night on the tonight show with conan o'brien. right now, anderson cooper and ac "360." anderson? larry, thanks so much. tonight we have breaking news. a story you'll only see here. "360" uncovering new details how far his family went to get him off drugs. new heat on arnie klein, what mcs he might have given jackson. and touching new video of the jackson sisters after the memorial yesterday. first drew griffin, what have you learned? >> it was 2007, remember, that was the year two years after michael jackson's trial for child molestation in california. a jury acquitted him but he was scarred and suddenly all but disappeared. first he headed to bahrain and then briefly to ireland. happier, we're told, but his career was nowhere. this is a period where he rarely saw his family and sources tell us he was becoming fixated with music superstar

celine deon and that permanent show she was starring in in las vegas. jackson saw that a permanent show might be a path for his return to showbiz, so he moved there in early 2007, believed to be living in this large rented home. two sources close to the family saying janet jackson hadn't seen her brother for most of the time he was out of the country visited him there and was shocked. we're told the house was nearly barren of furniture and creepy looking according to one source. but it was the sight of an extremely thin dishevelled michael jackson that frightened janet and anderson, that brings us to the nba all-star game weekend in las vegas that february. janet jackson was there with two brothers. she asked both of them to go with her back to the house to try to convince michael to get help. reportedly michael ordered his new security team not to let them in. we've also learned michael jackson was refusing to take calls from his own mother, katherine jackson who was

repeatedly calling him, pleading with her son to get help. anderson? >> just not respond to his family at all, even his mom. >> reporter: yeah, and the answer is yes, anderson, according to both sources, michael jackson simply refused to see anyone who tried to stop him from using drugs, one source saying if you did try to deal with him, he would shut you out. you just wouldn't hear from him for long periods of time. another source telling us that the family has been concerned for a long time about drugs but it was janet, janet who tried to force this issue two years ago and michael jackson simply stopped seeing them. now, we must tell you back in 2007, "people" magazine did report about an alleged jackson family intervention, but the jackson family denied it back then. they released this statement in september 2007, categorically denying ever planning, participating in or having knowledge of any kind of intervention whatsoever. that statement signed by the jackson family but noticeably absent from those signatures was janet jackson.

anderson? >> so it was -- who signed that? that was katherine? >> it was katherine did sign it. tito signed it. i don't know the other two brothers. i don't believe randy signed it. but there was four people i think signed it. i don't have the document in front of me here. but it was not janet jackson and it was not randy jackson. it was janet again who was trying to press the family to get something going. this was early 2007. >> 2007. drew griffin, appreciate it. there's breaking news on the death investigation specifically who is being investigated. in this case, a newly discovered focus on jackson's dermatologist arnie klein. you just saw him on larry king. he was newly discovered by randi kaye. who has that angle tonight. you've been working your sources all day. what more have you learned regarding the investigation of some of jackson's doctors? >> reporter: anderson, we're getting new information tonight from a source very close to this investigation who is telling us that the coroner's office here

in l.a. county has a list of doctors that investigators have already begun interviewing. what they want to do is determine what drugs michael jackson may have been on, who prescribed them and how he was taking them. our source would not say how many doctors are on this list or even who's been interviewed yet exactly but he did tell us and this is important here, that michael jackson's long-time dermatologist, dr. arnold klein, is on that list. he was just on "larry king" tonight. now, arnold klein has said he has not been made aware he was on any list and he has not been questioned. dr. klein was a guest on larry king tonight. he told larry that the strongest drug he ever gave michael jackson was demerol. but here's what he had to say when larry asked him about drugs and whether or not he's been questioned by authorities. >> the pills i give him in the last year wouldn't do anything to him. >> larry: there are at least five doctors reportedly now under investigation. have you been contacted by any authorities?

>> the only thing i've done is i've turned my records a long time ago to the medical examiner. i've not been contacted by the medical examiner -- >> nothing with regard to this? >> no. >> and, of course, his lawyer told us just a couple of days ago that his client has not been approached by anybody and has not been questioned and in fact, anderson, dr. arnold klein may not know he's on a list. here's something else that's important. this source of ours told us if any doctor refuses to be questioned or refuses to open up his records that, investigators can subpoena them. randi, do we know of any other doctors on the list? >> we do, in fact. the source is telling us also tonight that his personal physician, dr. conrad murray, is also on that list. we know, we've been able to confirm he's been questioned twice by authorities. dr. klein, the dermatologist, we know he saw michael a few days before he died. that may be one reason why officials may want to question him. >> there does seem to be a

pattern developing of doctors on the defensive, at least two doctors have been somewhat coming forward and been publicly defending themselves. >> reporter: absolutely. we know for a fact from the attorney general's office that they have a list of doctors that they're working from. there are reports that the police department here in los angeles has a list. it's really unclear if this is all the same list. certainly the investigation seems to have a very narrow focus right now, focus is on prescription drugs and whether or not they contributed to michael jackson's death and, of course, which doctors supplied them. >> what about the toxicology results? clearly, the jackson family has some aspect of the toxicology reports. authorities for what we know, already have most of the results. it's just one aspect of the report they don't have. do we know when we expect it to be released publicly? >> we asked that of our source today. and all he would tell us is that the toxicology tests are not done. the coroner, as we know, has

said he's not going to do a rush job. we're being told the toxicology tests still not done. we also know the coroner has a portion, not to be too graphic but a portion of michael's brain tissue. they want to be looking at that, as well. that may be one reason why, at least as far as we know, michael jackson hasn't been buried. the family may be waiting to get that back before they bury them. which brings me to this. which we also got tonight. this is michael jackson's death certificate, and it's actuality information is provided by la toya jackson. what's interesting here is that it says the cause of death, it's deferred, because they, at this point, weren't clear what the cause of death was. also it mentions where the place of final disposition would be and that is mentioned to be forest lawn memorial park, which is the cemetery where the family visited the night before the memorial service and again that morning. it's interesting, it also says the type of disposition is temporary. again, it does appear at least at this point when this document

was filled out by la toya jackson that it wasn't clear yet if that cemetery would be his final resting place. it's still unclear even tonight if that's been determined. >> from the various medical examiners we talked to last week including our own dr. sanjay gupta, him saying that brain -- the testing of the brain of michael jackson is the last thing and does take more time. but the majority of the toxicology reports are probably known to the authorities and the family. they're waiting for that brain test, as well. randi, appreciate the information. images not seen by the 31 million american who's watched yesterday. hundreds of millions around the world. janet and la toya speaking to fans at the nokia theater. take a look. >> as you well know, michael loved his fans more than anybody else in the world. he loved his fans. he has always said that his family is first and his fans are second. i know that he's so happy that you're here supporting him and

he's watching every last one of you. and i just want to thank you all for being here for him. he loves you very, very much. >> thank you for -- all of your support. michael will forever live in all of our hearts. >> janet, la toya and rebbie with fans yesterday in the overflow crowd in the theater. new raw data chipping in to help los angeles pay off its expenses totaling $1.4 million. the city put up a website asking for donations. it's running a $500 million deficit this year. it got hundreds of responses adding up to about $17,000 in pledges. plenty of hits at ac360.com where you can join the live chat happening right now. later in the program, the jackson kids. we all remember yesterday's moment when paris spoke to the crowd at the jackson memorial. we're learning about the kind of life her and her brothers have led with their dad and questions

now about what happens. should they continue to be home schooled or go to school with other kids. president obama is over there taking heat back home while trying to get world leaders on the same page about fixing the economy and the planet. is he trying to do too much or too little or simply playing the cards he was dealt? david gergen joinsous head on "360." ♪ but i know i love you ♪ and that may be ♪ all i need ♪ to know (announcer) customers love ge aircraft engines almost as much as we love making them. innovation today for america's tomorrow. when you're really in pain, relief can't come fast enough. introducing new bayer quick release crystals. active crystals dissolve quickly on your tongue. with an extra pain relieving booster, it's ready to go to work faster than caplets or tablets.

it's a whole new way from bayer to dissolve pain... fast. new bayer quick release crystals. in a bold citrus taste. expect relief fast.

president obama is in italy for the g-8 summit even taking heat back home. the meeting being held in l'acquila. mr. obama touring the destruction this afternoon.

there's progress rebuilding. members agreeing to condemn the iranian election mess and north korean nuclear tests but divided on global warming and approaches to jump starting the global economy. last stop, moscow, he got agreement on nuclear war head cuts, which were expected, not on the tougher issues. the question tonight, is he making the best of a bad hand taking small victories where he can or is he being too cautious? joining us now, cnn senior political analyst david gergen. what do you think? how big of a trip is this for the president and are people expecting too much to get done? >> it's a very significant trip because he is meeting with the heads of other industrialized nations and he has a big meeting tomorrow with the chinese will be represented, their leader has gone back because of the unrest in china. brazil, mexico. and what's happened here, anderson, is that after trips abroad when he's been

celebrated, hailed as the leader of the world, this is a tougher time. his moscow trip was a mixed success. he did achieve a couple agreements on the overflight rights to go into afghanistan and reducing missiles but didn't resolve the tough issues with the russians over missile defense. didn't get a lot of support on iran which was very important to him. now he goes into the industrialized nations. and really hopes to get something done on climate change. he goes fresh with this victory coming out of the house of representatives with a climate change bill but he can't get agreement. this is the year in which a big international treaty is supposed to be struck with china and india. and right now, they're not playing ball. >> they've been hoping to curb the obama administration hoping to curb gas emissions, not having much luck on that right now. >> they're not. the bill they passed while historic in the house of representatives was a very watered down bill at a time of great economic stress.

not a lot of the politicians in any country are willing to take the tough measures that have to be done that scientists tell us are imperative, that time is running out. the scientific community is increasingly pessimistic about what's happening on global warming. and yet, the politics and bad economic times are proving too much even for barack obama right now. >> he's also getting huge problems here at home with republicans essentially saying the stimulus plan has been throwing money down the drain putting us deep in debt and is not effective. >> well, you're right, anderson. and this stimulus question and the question of the stubbornly high unemployment that the white house has now come increasingly to accept, that the recovery will not be fast, it will be long and painful has brought into sharp relief. just how effective were the president's earliest policies, especially the stimulus plan. you remember when this first was passed, we talked about the need to get a jack welch type in to

run the program and make sure the funds were spent fast and effectively. they never did that and the funds have gone out slowly. now there's talk about a second stimulus. and the second stimulus is casting a shadow over his domestic agenda. if there's a will the more talk in the fall as there will likely be over the need for a second stimulus, it will be tougher to pass health care reform. both are expensive. >> what do you make of vice president biden? that the administration had misread how bad the economy was. the president had to clarify his remarks. >> i feel like president obama is clarifying the remarks of his vice president quite a lot lately. that's not something the president wants to be doing. >> you're right about that. he's a little irrepressible. joe biden on this one about misreading it, his problem was he told the truth. and it's an inconvenient truth. >> you think they did misread it? because obama is saying they didn't misread it, they just

didn't have all the full information. >> well, you know, i think if you look at it, they didn't fully anticipate and some would say no economist really understood it. there were some exceptions paul krugman argued that the stimulus was way too small. by and large, most economists did not really understand that when the united states started going down, the rest of the world would go down quickly, too. they came up with economic projections that were way too optimistic in the administration and paying a price for it now. >> david gergen, appreciate it. thanks, david. president obama travels next to ghana where he will be touring a dungeon, one of the many where slaves were held before their journey to the new world. the interview airing monday and tuesday night on "360." just ahead, sarah palin says she's quitting to save alaskans from the distraction and the cost of all these frivolous complaints against her. but how frivolous are they? we found one of the complainers, a fellow republican. we'll look exactly what the

complaints are. later, the arrest of steve mcnair's girlfriend just days before she shot the former nfl star dead and turned the gun on herself. we have new details about her unraveling personal life and the untold side of the story and taking your questions with criminologist james fox. text them to 94553. the message has to start with the letters ac, your name and a question, otherwise we won't get the message.

coming up, a plea from the new u.s. commander in afghanistan where a major offensive against the taliban is under way. first, erica hill with the 360 bulletin. >> journalist lisa ling says she spoke with her sister laura last night. laura is currently a prisoner in north korea. here's how lisa described that call.

>> a tremendous relief to hear laura's voice last night. it was only the first time i had heard her voice in weeks. >> laura ling and euna lee were sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of illegally entering north korea. ling says her sister told her in the call both women are sorry about everything that has happened and also stressed the need for diplomacy and government help. china's president hu jintao cutting short his trip in italy to deal with ethnic violence raging in northwest china. the uighurs have killed more than 156 people. more than 1,000 are injured. in north korea, a rare public appearance by the reclusive kim jong-il. he appears frail. he was last seen in public in april. the 67-year-old kim appearing frail and pretty gaunt at the service marking the 15th

anniversary of his father's death. massachusetts filing a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the federal defense of marriage act. this is the first state to take aim at the 1996 law which defines marriage as being the union between a man and a woman, anderson. still ahead, governor sarah palin calling it quits with 18 months left in her term. don't call her a quitter. >> i'm certainly not a quitter. i'm a fighter. that's why i'm doing this to go out there and fight for what is right without the constraints that have been surrounding me in these final months. >> palin says all those charges of ethics violations took their toll, charges she calls frivolous. are they? we're digging deeper. before yesterday, michael jackson's three young kids were rarely seen in public. now we're learning more about what life has been like for the kids of michael jackson in the jackson household.

it's been five days since sarah palin dropped the bombshell she's stepping down as governor of alaska with 18 months left in her term. she said repeatedly leaving office early doesn't make her a quitter. here's what she told drew griffin. >> it's not a matter of retreating or quitting. it's a matter of progressing and forwarding a good, positive agenda. it's an unconventional way. i think that's what caught people off guard. leave them scratching their head. >> it's fair to say explanations like that one left many people kind of scratching their heads. her move has put her back in the media glare big-time. "time" magazine is putting her on its upcoming cover with the headline the renegade. sarah palin takes the road less traveled but where does it lead? one of the reasons is the time and money she has had to spend defending herself against ethics violations. we've been looking closer at that. sean callebs tonight has the raw politics. >> reporter: anchorage is bathed in haze. a hot dry alaska summer is fueling scores of wildfire.

governor sarah palin met with smoke jumpers in the small interior town of mcgrath praising their courage and burning up twitter sending out a number of messages, including the somewhat cryptic, today try this. act in accordance to your conscience. risk by pursuing larger vision in opposition to popular powerful pressure. author unknown. palin has just 18 days left in office until she becomes citizen sarah, in large part the governor says she's quitting because of a host of accusations of ethics violations, costly and time consuming for her and the state. >> it doesn't cost the critics anything to file frivolous lawsuits or ethics violation charges. it costs our state such a great deal. thousands of state staff hours, millions of dollars in public resources that aren't going to things it should. >> andree mccloud has been an especially sharp thorn in her side. >> i have all of the evidence. >> she's filed four complaints against the governor and her staff and two lawsuits.

here are some of the litany of complaints levelled against palin. a conflict of interest because she wore a jacket that had a logo on it while at a snowmobile race. another alleged she had the state pay for her children's travel. she has since reimbursed the state. one of the allegations says palin used cronyism to improperly hire a friend for a state job. that complaint was dismissed. mccloud says she threw down the gauntlet. >> in december during her inauguration, sarah palin said alaskans hold me accountable and back at you. we did. and what does she do? she quits. >> james muller is a political science professor at the university of alaska anchorage. >> i think most of these ethical complaints are fairly trivial. almost all of them have been dismissed by the various levels of review that have taken them up. >> reporter: there are a couple of charges pending but palin has been cleared in all the others. palin's lawyer says the

accusations have personally cost the governor more than $500,000 in legal fees. >> every one of these complaints have to do with sarah palin's personal choices. she always puts her personal interests before the state's interests. >> reporter: even though she's leaving office july 26th, the complaints that are in the system will not simply go away. state officials tell us they will run their course till they have been legally resolved. sean callebs, cnn, anchorage, alaska. >> joining the live chat, let us know what you think at ac360.com. coming up next, more troops needed in afghanistan. the top commanders call for help. the rising u.s. death toll from the battle and the latest in the operation against the taliban. also ahead tonight, italy's prime minister shakes up the g-8 outrageous allegations about his private life. the accusations keep getting worse.

there's a big reason to lower high cholesterol... dangerous plaque that can build up in arteries. it's called atherosclerosis--or athero. and high cholesterol is a major factor. but crestor can help slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. go to arterytour.com and take an interactive tour to learn how plaque builds up. and then ask your doctor if crestor is right for you. along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol and raise good. crestor is proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor

about other medicines you're taking or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. learn more about plaque buildup at arterytour.com. then ask your doctor if it's time for crestor. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. in afghanistan tonight, an urgent call from the u.s. commander leading that major new offensive against the taliban. brigadier general larry

nicholson says he needs more after quan forces to help battle the insurgents in helmand province, a major strong hold for the enemy. right now, only a few hundred afghan troops are taking part in the operation, a fraction coar front lines tonight. americans are fighting and dying. since monday, nine u.s. service members have been killed in washington. tom? >> reporter: yes, anderson, this is the hot zone, just what you mentioned, the helmand river valley right down here. this is where those 4,000 marines and about 650 afghan soldiers have been driving the taliban away from highly valuable poppy fields down in this area. i'll show you right down in here. in most of the places here, the people from the taliban were reported to have run away from these towns, but as they retreated out into the countryside, it's become very tough. it's about 100 degrees. the fighting has been deadly even though the taliban ran off this way, pursuing them is a

very difficult thing to do out there and that's pushing the casualty rates up. if you count the nato troop losses, last month, 38 foreign troops died in afghanistan, much higher than iraq. the administration's plan all along has been to have more afghan troops leading the charge as the number of american and international troops grows, and if the afghans don't do that, that will be a problem because military analysts say holding these tribal areas and clearing out the countryside out here is going to be very difficult unless the locals help out and we've learned that the hard way in iraq. anderson. >> obviously, iraq has been the bigger conflict for years, more than 4,300 american troops lost there. how is afghanistan comparing to that long-term so far. >> that's a great question. the thing is, there have been about six times as many troop deaths in iraq. that's much worse but the trend has been very, very bad for afghanistan. in iraq, look at this we started fighting back in 2003 and the number of troop fatalities went very, very high.

but it has declined a good bit over time. in afghanistan, we have the exact opposite thing happening. look at this. in afghanistan, it started off very low and it's been steadily climbing since we arrived back in 2001 up and up it goes. the rate of fatalities so far this year, if it continues will make 2009 the most deadly year so far. this is a projection based how far we are on this year that you could be by the end of the year about 180, pushing 200, somewhere around there. that's about the same as iraq and this is for a country that has much less than half as many of our troops in it as we have over in iraq. that would make afghanistan statistically a more dangerous place. and there's this, too, anderson. these are pictures of the coffins of five american troops who were killed in the fighting that we were just talking about returning to the united states. under that new policy which permits such photographs, we

will certainly see the conflict over there being brought much closer to the voters here. that's going to raise the political stakes around support for this war if this violence continues as it has recently. anderson? >> five heroes returning home. let's hope they get more troops to the front lines where they're needed. the taliban, kids are not spared. their weapons bought for and used in suicide attacks. nic robertson has a chilling report. you can see it at ac360.com if you want to see what our marines are facing right now. coming up next, a murder-suicide mystery. police say steve mcnair was killed by his mistress while he slept. the question is why did she do it? tonight new clues, and the 911 call. we'll also be taking your questions. send us your questions to 94553. the message has to start with the letters ac and a space, then your name and a question. if you don't include ac first and a space, we don't receive the text. michael jackson's kids also coming up tonight, stepping into the spotlight. we have exclusive information about their life with jackson and what they want to be when they grow up. we'll be right back.

tonight, new video of the woman who authorities say killed former quarterback steve mcnair before taking her own life. this from a police dash cam from last thursday when the 20-year-old girlfriend was arrested for driving under the influence. the video shows her inside the police car after taken into custody. mcnair who was a passenger in the car was not charged, however. two days later, mcnair and his young girlfriend would be dead. today the nashville medical examiner said she shot him to death while he slept and committed suicide. mcnair was married with four kids and leading apparently a double life. tonight new details on the relationship and the final moments in what some call a fatal attraction. with crime and punishment, here's david mattingly. >> reporter: nfl quarterback steve mcnair was behind one of the biggest moments in super bowl history falling just a few yards short of taking the tennessee titans to victory in 2000. and nine years later, fans in nashville still loved him,

knowing him to be generous and approachable in public. but in private, mcnair was taking a serious and unexpected risk. a married man with children, mcnair was seeing 20-year-old sahel kazemi. these pictures of the couple snapped recently by tmz. her family said the relationship had been going for more than five months and that she was confident mcnair was divorcing his wife and they would soon live together. but early saturday, that ended with this 911 call from a friend of mcnair's. >> tell me what happened. i have no idea, sir. >> okay. >> i received a phone call. >> uh-huh. >> that there was injured parties inside this apartment >> male or female? >> two, there's two people. >> that call came from this condo in a building not too far away from titan stadium. police arrived to find the couple dead. mcnair had been shot twice in the head and twice in the chest. police now say it was a clear

case of murder-suicide, that mcnair may have been asleep and did not know it was coming. police describe kazemi ing as a young woman in turmoil, reeling from financial pressures, complaining to her friends that her personal life was a mess and that she should end it. early thursday morning she was arrested for dui. that evening police say she bought a .9 millimeter handgun. >> we have reason to believe she recently learned before this day that she believed mcnair was involved with another woman and that, too, participated in her state of mind we think. >> former nfl running back eddie george tells me the man who was murdered was not the steve mcnair he had known since 1996. >> under underneath it all, he was in search of filling a void. >> george believes his old friend was having a crisis of his own, maybe struggling with life after football. >> what people fail to realize is that when you make a transition away from a game, emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, you go

through something. you change. and you're constantly searching for something. >> and in nashville, fans now search for ways to celebrate the life of a star athlete who brought them many fond memories while mourning his scandalous death. david mattingly, cnn, nashville. >> as you heard, authorities believe the girlfriend's life was spinning out of control and said she told a friend she planned to "end it all." were warning signs missed? james alan fox is a professor of criminal justice at northeastern university. james joins us now. there are allegations the girlfriend thought the relationship was unraveling. could that have been the reason why she allegedly committed the crime? >> absolutely, there's a loss of affection and perhaps even a loss of support. she was struggling financially. she was planning to leave her apartment and hoping to move in with him. she was placing her furniture on for sale on craigslist. so clearly everything was depending on this relationship. and if in fact it's true that he

was not planning to leave his wife and if it's true she perceived he was cheating on her, this would be something that would be intolerable. she didn't want to live anymore but she had to in fact, defend against her honor and against him leaving her. >> is this the kind of thing anybody is capable of given the set of wrong circumstances or is there a personality type more prone to do something like this? >> not everyone is capable of this. we're talking about someone who apparently is obsessed to the point that her whole world is wrapped around this man, and her happiness depends on being with him. many people are capable of that kind of obsession and control and dependency. that doesn't necessarily mean that they'll resolve it with murder. but these cases do happen, unfortunately, all too often. >> how common is it for a woman to commit this kind of crime? >> when you look at cases of intimate partners murdering each other, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, almost a third of

the time it's the woman killing the man. sometimes it's out of defending herself against abuse, but in cases like this it's trying to be the one to determine how, when, where and by whose hand the relationship will end. she would be taking control at the end. >> and control shooting him allegedly while he was asleep. what does that tell you? >> well, it would be easier, certainly. this is a big guy and if you attempted to shoot him while he was awake, she may not be so successful. i mean, here's a woman who just bought a gun, she wasn't particularly well trained in using that firearm. shooting someone while they're asleep is certainly a lot easier than when they're awake. it doesn't take a marksman to to shoot someone four times in bed when they're defenseless. >> that gets to our text question from a viewer. andra asks, can a person who hasn't shot a gun be capable of shooting mcnair like that.

i guess he was a victim just lying there would answer that. >> you know, it takes practice to become a marksman. but it doesn't take a marksman to shoot someone while they're sleeping. clearly this was her opportunity to make sure that she killed him at a time when she could, and maybe perhaps in her mind that she would by the suicide aspect, she would reunite this loving couple in her mind, reunite them in the after life because they're dying at the same time. >> it's just a tragic story all the way around. james alan fox, thanks. appreciate your time. >> yes. coming up next, suddenly in the spotlight. what the future holds for michael jackson's kids and new details about jackson's fathering style and what the kids want to be when they grow up. the italian prime minister under fire. his co-host the center of attention. we have the details.

well, the memorial for michael jackson was certainly a worldwide event. here in america, more than 31 million people watched on tv. online, nearly 4.5 million followed the tribute on cnn.com. all of them got to see up close jackson's kids. he shielded them for much of their lives going to great lengths to keep them away from the public and prying eyes. since their father's death, we've seen their faces and heard the heartbreaking message from his daughter at the memorial. tonight, erika hill takes a look what their lives have been like

and what happens now. >> reporter: suddenly thrust into the spotlight with poise far beyond her years. >> ever since i was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. >> reporter: 11-year-old paris jackson's brief eulogy at her father's memorial was spontaneous, raw, and a rare window into this very private family. >> michael is the only parent that those kids ever knew. he took them everywhere with him and he was the world to them and they were, of course, the world to him. >> reporter: mostly home schooled they not only traveled extensively but lived in a number of different places including bahrain. they were rarely seen in public and only recently started appearing without masks and veils. sources close to michael jackson and his children seen here in happier times in photos obtained by tmz tell cnn their lives were filled with love and laughter and, of course, music.

>> the kids are incredibly well adjusted and they're very comfortable around other people and i think this is the one thing in his life that really, you know, brought him the kind of comfort and the type of just ecstacy that is being a parent. >> reporter: the closeness of this family goes beyond a father and his children. something psychologist dr. jeff gardere was quick to point out. >> from what i saw with those children at the memorial service, there seemed to be a natural fit with the other jackson family members. there was an outpouring of love and that it seemed to be a very strong family unit. >> reporter: a support system that will be essential as these three children adjust to their new normal. friends tell cnn paris, who is also taken the lead among her siblings is, mature, sensitive and the most outgoing. she reportedly wants to be a fashion designer. 12-year-old prince is interested in film and

reminds many of his famous father. >> prince in particular, hugely mischievous like his father, calls everyone by a nickname, loves to play games and pranks, loves water balloon fights, all things that his father, you know, enjoyed literally until the day he died. >> blanket just 7 may appear quiet but sources say he has a big personality. all three churn, though, now have an enormous void. but with the love of those around him, dr. gardere is confident they will find their way. one other thing i found interesting is that goththam chopra went out of his way to say that michael never pushed his children in any direction, whether it be music or another. he wanted them to find that passion on their own. he would nuture it but wouldn't push them into it. >> reverend al sharpton said the kids are doing as well as they can be. >> which is pretty much what we were told today, from a source

very close to the family who was with the family this morning and gotham chopra, they're doing basically as well as can be expected. everybody is expressing when a tight-knit family this is and how important that is. we've been told janet has been the rock here, janet jackson, both her and little paris who is really keeping those kids together. >> do they have friends their own age? do they play with other kids? >> it's interesting. because they move around a lot and not in a regular school like we went to, it's not the same. they have been around kids a lot. part of that is the fact that this is a really large family. the jackson family has a number of kids, cousins. they are around other kids but may not be in the way you and i grew up. >> thanks. you heard from gotham chopra. he spokes to michael a few weeks ago. read about his final conversation at ac360.com. let's get caught up on the other big stories we're following tonight. erica hill has a "360" bulletin. we have breaking news tonight out of washington.

a letter published on the website of a house democrat reveals cia director leon panetta recently testified to congress that the information concealed information and repeatedly misled lawmakers since 2001. that letter written to panetta from seven house democrats was dated june 26th. it did not contain the information officials allegedly concealed nor about how they purportedly misled members of congress. nearly eight years after 9/11, a new report reveals striking lapses in security. officers tried to smuggle bomb components into ten federal buildings. they succeeded at all of them. in addition, the undercover agents were able to assemble the components inside the restrooms and freely enter offices. 30 people arrested, some 200 dogs seized in three states today. all in connection with a massive dogfighting ring. the aspca calls it the largest dogfighting operation in history. the raids took place in texas,

missouri and illinois. and at g-8 summit, all eyes not on first lady obama but on the woman seen with silvio berlusconi chosen to accompany him to the event, not his wife. you think that's good stuff? here's the kicker. the italian press reports a quote, cold war has broken out between two other female officials who didn't get the invite. so, the plot thickens. >> oh, goodness. all right. time for the winners, our daily challenge to viewers to come up with a better caption for a photo we put on the blog every day. let's take a look at the picture. president obama and the italian prime minister greeting each other at the g-8 summit in italy. kurt, his caption, i must say madame tussaud outdid herself when she made you, silvio. your winner is evan, his caption, the president checks prime minister berlusconi for obama fever which started in the states and spread across europe.

congratulations. your t-shirt is on the way. coming up next on "360," he's gone but michael jackson memorabilia lives on. want to buy a moon walking cheeto? a look at the strange stuff on auction on ebay. at the top of the hour, the latest on the jackson death investigation. the desperate intervention to help him back in 2007. we actually move with the economic times. customers who maybe have lost their jobs, we're looking at waiving fees for them. we've introduced add it up. our risk free cd. it's one stop shopping for all the answers they're looking for. you just kind of have to learn to, just you know, just be there. that's how we keep moving.

is something that the bank of america really has the market cornered on. let me make it easier for you. let me show you how i can make it easier for you. online banking is going to be your best friend; it's going to help you manage your money. it has an alert system that can text message you. we have great new image atms. it will give you a receipt which has a copy of the check you deposited. you're in control of your finances. now when you talk about convenience, you measure us up to everyone else. well, you'll see we stand ahead of the curve.

i think i'll go with the basic package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke. michael jackson. there are about 50 dhow jackson-related items on the site. >> is that all? >> i guess. we found a few of the stranger ones like this. take a look. where is it? >> wait for it. oh. >> what is that you ask?

it is billed as a moon walking cheeto. >> huh. >> side to side comparison reveals a mild resemblance. someone wanted this cheeto bad, sold for 35 bucks and change. >> it sold? just buy a bag. you'll find one of your own. but the good thing about that cheeto, it will probably last the next 60 years. perhaps a moon walking piece of toast. >> there's got to be one. >> orchids branded. the owner said he noticed the strange image before he was going to butter the toast. if you're interested, make an offer. any offer. last but not least, art lovers will appreciate the face of michael jackson in this slab of cultured marble. look closely. i don't see it. yeah, no. >> yeah. i don't think so. we asked people in our graphics department to help us out. >> if you're lucky enough to have a graphics department you might be able to make it out. >> exactly. i see it now. it's very clear to me. >> it even has a nose.

>> it's on the owner's shower wall. it can be yours for a cool $50,000. >> 50 grand? you know, my birthday is coming up. i'm just saying. >> when is your birthday? >> i don't know. >> all right. you can see all the most recent shots at our website ac360.com. people want to know. erica hill, people want to know. >> july 20th. >> really? >> yes. and it's moon walk day. >> is it? >> yeah, the day they landed on the moon. >> i thought you were making yet another michael jackson reference. >> i did, but it was a historical reference. i bring it full circle because it's "360." >> i have jet lag. >> you've missed being in the studio. >> i have. >> welcome back. coming up, back with the serious stuff. michael jackson story. details of a family intervention to try to get michael help. that's a "360" exclusive coming up. also, new information on doctors investigators want to talk to. arnie klein, we'll hear larry's interview with him ahead. we'll be right back.

(announcer) imagination soars with crayola at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart.